The present invention is directed to equipment containing units, and especially to equipment containing containers having a cover movable from an open orientation to a latched closed or operational orientation.
Typical prior art mechanisms employed with equipment unit covers include a latching mechanism that is in a latched orientation during normal operation of the unit. A latching spring or similar latching bias member is employed to hold the latch in a latched orientation until an operator applies a releasing force to the latching mechanism to overcome the bias of the latching spring and move the latching mechanism away from the latched orientation. Once the releasing force is removed, the latching mechanism responds to force applied by the latching bias member and returns to its latched orientation. This latching arrangement required that the latching mechanism and the latching spring be held in proper relative positions with each other and with the equipment unit while still permitting free movement of the latching mechanism into and out of the latched orientation.
There is a need for a method and apparatus that provide improved holding of the latching mechanism and latching bias member with respect to the equipment unit and with respect to each other using a single unitary structure. Such a unitary structure would be easier and therefore less expensive to manufacture. Further, such a unitary structure would be more reliable in operation than a multi-piece structure to satisfy required functions of housing and latching a latching bias member for the latching mechanism appropriate to permit the required one degree of freedom required for moving the latching mechanism into and out of a latched orientation.
The present invention is further advantageously configured for installation and operation substantially outside the equipment volume of the unit, thereby permitting additional room for equipment.
An alternate embodiment of the invention further provides a positioning bias member for urging the cover away from an operational or closed orientation toward an open orientation.
Yet another alternate embodiment of the invention provides a unitary structure that satisfies functions of latching member housing and latching member bias member as well as provides a positioning bias member for urging the cover away from an operational or closed orientation toward an open orientation.